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Babar Azam’s Shock Demand Before Taking Pakistan Captaincy Revealed
Pakistan Cricket’s Captaincy Carousel: How Babar Azam Returned as Test Captain
The Big Picture: What Just Happened?
Imagine your school has three different sports teams: Cricket (Test matches), One-Day Cricket (ODIs), and T20 Cricket (short games). For a while, Pakistan had three different captains for these three teams. It was confusing!
Now, Babar Azam — one of the world’s best batters — is back as the Test captain. But he didn’t just say "yes" right away. He made a deal.
Important Point: Babar only accepted the Test captaincy on the condition that he would eventually lead the team in all three formats.
Why Did This Happen? The Backstory
1. Shan Masood’s Tough Run
- Shan Masood was the Test captain starting December 2023.
- In 16 Test matches, Pakistan lost 12.
- The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) waited two months hoping things would improve. They didn’t.
2. The Search for a New Captain
The selectors (people who pick the team) tried to find someone else first:
| Candidate | What Happened? |
|---|---|
| Salman Ali Agha | Politely said no. He didn’t want to lead a team that lacked unity and was already struggling as T20 captain. |
3. Babar Azam Steps In
- The selectors met Babar before July 5 (when the announcement was made).
- They had no other good option for Test captain.
- Babar said: "I’ll do it — but only if I get to captain ODIs and T20s too, once the team plays well in the West Indies and England."
Who Are the Other Captains Right Now?
| Format | Current Captain | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Test | Babar Azam (New!) | Just appointed |
| ODI | Shaheen Shah Afridi | Fast bowler, doing okay |
| T20 | Salman Ali Agha | Struggling; likely to be replaced |
Important Point: Shaheen was removed as T20 captain after just one series in New Zealand (early 2024). That left a bad taste.
Flashback: Why Did Babar Quit Before?
In November 2023, Babar stepped down from all three captaincies. Here’s why:
- Pakistan crashed out early in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.
- Then-PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf wanted to remove Babar.
- Ashraf called Babar for a meeting — but Shan Masood was already sitting in the chairman’s office.
- Babar realized what was happening and quit all formats rather than just be Test captain.
Key Insight: Babar never wanted to be captain of only one format. He wanted the full job — or nothing.
How Good Is Babar as a Test Captain?
Let’s look at his old record (when he was captain before):
| Matches | Wins | Losses | Draws |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 10 | 6 | 4 |
That’s a 50% win rate — pretty solid for Test cricket!
What Happens Next? Expert Prediction
Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali says:
"Once Shaheen gets injured and misses a series, Pakistan will make Babar the all-format captain. It’s already decided Salman won’t stay T20 captain — that role will go to Babar too."
So the plan seems to be:
- Babar leads in Tests now.
- If Pakistan does well in West Indies and England (5 Tests total), he gets ODI and T20 captaincy.
- Salman Ali Agha will likely be replaced as T20 captain soon.
Step-by-Step: How We Got Here
- Dec 2023 – Shan Masood becomes Test captain.
- Nov 2023 – Babar quits all captaincy after ODI World Cup failure.
- Early 2024 – Shaheen removed as T20 captain after one series.
- Feb–Mar 2024 – Pakistan exits T20 World Cup early (lost to India, England).
- Jul 2024 – After 12 losses in 16 Tests, PCB looks for new Test captain.
- Salman Agha says no to Test captaincy.
- Selectors meet Babar – he agrees only if all-format role is promised.
- July 5 – Babar announced as Test captain.
Summary
- Babar Azam is back as Pakistan’s Test captain.
- He accepted only after getting a promise for all-format captaincy if the team performs well.
- Shan Masood lost too many Tests (12 of 16).
- Salman Agha refused the job.
- Shaheen Afridi leads ODIs; Salman Agha leads T20s — but both may change soon.
- Babar’s past Test captaincy record was strong (10 wins in 20 matches).
- Experts believe Babar will soon captain all three formats.
FAQ: Your Questions Answered
Why didn’t Babar want to be just Test captain before?
Because he believed he should lead in all formats or none. When the PCB tried to keep him only for Tests, he chose to step down completely.
Who are the selectors?
They are a group of former players and officials who pick the team and choose the captain.
What does "all-format captaincy" mean?
It means one person leads the team in Test matches, ODIs, and T20s — instead of having three different captains.
Why did Salman Agha say no?
He didn’t want to lead a team that was not united and was performing poorly. He was also struggling as T20 captain.
When will Babar become full-time captain of all formats?
Likely after the Test series in West Indies and England — if Pakistan plays well. That’s 5 Tests total over the next few months.
This article is based on a report from Telecom Asia Sport, published via a syndicated feed.
